International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 7, Issue 2, February-2016 1248 ISSN 2229-5518 Chipotle’s Strategic Marketing Ibrahim Alhadlaq Abstract— This paper is going to analyze the target market and positioning strategy of Chipotle Mexican Grill as well as predicting future challenges. —————————— —————————— INTRODUCTION he Chipotle Mexican Grill craze is real if you ask just city of Toronto, Ontario. The initial success of that location, T about any person who has every sat down and enjoyed an generated the company to open four more locations in the item off Chipotle’s menu. They lead the charge in what is Greater Toronto area. Also in Canada, a location was opened considered the globes new obsession in how their food is pre- in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Owing to pared in a timely manner, known as “fast casual” dining. Due Chipotle’s success across the border, they then managed to to a recent health kick and more people starting to be con- break into the European markets as well, with three additional scious about what they are putting in their bodies the fast food cities. Multiple locations were opened in London, England, industry has taken a hit and those who remain have been Paris, France, with the latest in Frankfurt, Germany. forced to make adjustments. It’s no secret that the ingredients your food might contain coming out of a drive thru window ARKET OF PERATION such as McDonalds or Wendy’s may not be very healthy for M O you, in fact it is been publically exposed for about the past Most Chipotle restaurants are located in heavily urban areas decade now. What hasn’t changed is the fact that people are and their surrounding suburbs. The operating market is gen- stilling living a fast paced life and they prefer the convenience erally classified as “restaurants” or more specifically “fast cas- of being served quickly. Chipotle has a menu that includes ual” restaurants. Fast casual restaurants, such as Chipotle, GMO free, cage free poultry, and grass fed beef items. They have been subject to prosperity over the course of the last dec- also have many of their vegetables and other items brought in ade. This can largely be attributed to the fact people are be- from local farms. Most importantly, pending the line isn’t out coming more health conscious and know that quick service the door, they have you in and out in no time at all. After ex- restaurants or fast food can be harmful to their health. A res- amining this company further, I found that this is the bread taurant like chipotle offers an enticing alternative food menu and butter of their marketing strategy and what continues to using natural ingredients that are GMO free along with cage drive the extraordinary success of Chipotle Mexican Grill. free poultry and grass fed beef. In addition to their appealing menu, many customers appreciate the speedy service, allow- IJSERing one to get on their way. This contrasts traditional restau- DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY rants that may take upward of an hour or more through the Chipotle is a chain of restaurants that specializes in Mexican whole process of ordering, getting your food, eating, and pay- cuisine, specifically burritos and tacos. Founded by Steve Ellis ing the bill. Since the year 2009 fast casual dining has seen a in the year 1993, they opened 16 restaurants all in the state of significant percent increase in customer traffic every single Colorado, the first being in the Denver area. By the year 2006, year. In examination of Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) or fast they were up to nearly 500 locations throughout the United foods over the past years, these companies have seen a zero or States, and by the year 2013, had 1,700 locations in the U.S., percent increase or even a decrease in the last five years. This Canada, and Europe. They plan to continue this major growth supports the idea that customers are more often attending fast pattern by opening up more than 200 new locations in the year casual restaurants, as opposed to fast food chains, as the fast 2015. In the earliest years, after Chipotle was founded, casual industry continues to grow while the fast food industry McDonalds became a major investor in Chipotle. In the year is at a standstill. 2006, McDonalds decided to cash out at 1.5 billion dollars. McDonalds Corporation divested from several other different PRODUCTS operations that year as well, as it was part of their business The products Chipotle offers are perhaps their biggest success strategy to put all focus on core business. Chipotle has contin- factor, and take a role as to why the company has such a loyal ued its success, despite losing one of their largest investors, customer base. Chipotle offer GMO Free, Cage Free poultry, and has seen massive growth in revenue ever since. Their rev- grass fed beef, and locally farm-grown vegetables and top- enue for the year 2014 alone was 4.1 billion dollars. In the year pings. Customers love the fact that they are getting fresh and 2006, Chipotle entered the New York Stock Exchange, offering healthy ingredients in their burritos. Customers have a peace the public shares in the company for $22.00 and ended the day of mind knowing that what they are putting in their body is at $45.00. Chipotle’s stock now trades at a price of $625.67. not going to harm them in the long run. Additionally, the nat- Shareholders are reaping the benefits of Chipotle’s continued ural products make the food better tasting. These two factors success. Globally, Chipotle is also pursuing expansion. The are very appealing to Chipotle’s customer base making them first international country to have a Chipotle is Canada in the IJSER © 2016 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 7, Issue 2, February-2016 1249 ISSN 2229-5518 very loyal. Chipotle offer the options of a burrito, burrito POSITIONING STRATEGY bowl, tacos, or salad. The customer follows their food through When talking about Chipotle and their positioning strategy, their an assembly line. The customer chooses a meat followed by a philosophy “Food with Integrity” is hard to ignore. Their philos- choice of rice and beans, and finally chooses their sal- ophy of “Food with Integrity” can be seen right on their website, sa/toppings. It’s quick, easy, and healthy, everything a mil- as well as in all of their locations. This philosophy states, “Day lennial has been molded into liking. In addition to natural after day we’re committed to sourcing the very best ingredients I food stores, Chipotle is the first large actual restaurant chain can find and preparing them by hand. To vegetables grown in that has really made the effort to go natural with all of their healthy soil, and pork from pigs allowed to freely root and roam ingredients and has seen exponential growth as a result. outdoors or in deeply bedded barns. We’re committed because we understand the connection between how food is raised and COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS prepared, and how it tastes. We do it for farmers, animals, the An obvious competitive strength is that they are part of a rap- environment, dentists, crane operations, ribbon dancers, magi- idly growing industry in the “fast casual business”. Competi- cians, cartographers and you. With every burrito we roll or bowl tors such as Panera bread are seeing rapid growth as well in we fill, we’re working to cultivate a better world.” This philoso- this sector of restaurants. This being true, Chipotle takes a step phy stems from their brand positioning strategy. Chipotle posi- further than some of these fast casual chains, by providing tions themselves as a company who has integrity for the envi- their customers with the more expensive, better quality, all ronment, for animals, for the farms that they buy from as well as natural ingredients that they deserve. This allows them to es- for integrity of being good food for you. This integrity can be seen tablish strong brand loyalty and keep their customers coming with how they recycle items, where they buy their produce and back. They get a consistent and extremely great tasting meal meats from, the types of animals used in their production, as well time and time again. Their unique marketing scheme is a criti- as the ingredients they use in their foods. cal competitive advantage as well. Chipotle does limited ad- Chipotle regularly donates old grills and food proces- vertising but rather spreads their brand by word of mouth. sors to non-for-profit companies which helps reduce these items Another key success factor is the fact that working with local that would otherwise end up in landfills. They also recycle their farmers to use their vegetables and other ingredients allows cardboard used as well as compost their kitchen scraps, all reduc- them to get the approval of the communities and residential ing impacts on the environment. They buy most of their food areas they are entering into. Communities and residential are- locally which reduces shipping costs as well as their carbon foot- as are much more likely to approve the opening of a new res- print. They avoid suppliers who only try to maximize profits and taurant if it supports local business. This makes it even easier production, and only partner with farmers who share their same for the rapid expansion Chipotle is trying to achieve, promot- values when it comes to the long term health of the land and ing the opening of 200 additional restaurants in the year 2015.